Corn-planter.



PATENTED 0011 9, 1906. w. MQOARTHY.

GORN PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1906.

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w. McGARTHY.

CORN PLANTER, v APPLICATION FILED,MAR.29,1906.

PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCCARTHY, OF LEBANON,IND1ANA.

CORN-PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906 Application filed Ma h 29, 1906. Serial No. 308,6 13.

beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to corn planting machines, and has reference particularly to the seed-dropping apparatus thereof.

Objects of the invention are to provide apparatus which may be applied to various patterns of planters for operating the dropping devices thereof periodically, so as to drop the corn in hills equal distances apart in rows without requiring the knotted lines heretofore made use of for the purpose, to provide simple relatively inexpensive seed-dropping apparatus which will be durable and eco nomical in use, and to provide simple means whereby the apparatus may be connected and disconnected operatively with respect to the planter mechanism.

With the above-mentioned and minor objects in view the invention consists in novel tripping mechanism operatively connected with the driving-axle of a corn-planter cooperating with the dropping apparatus of the planter, means for disconnecting the tripping I mechanism from the axle, and novel means for setting or resetting the tripping mechanism at the beginning of rows for planting in check-row order; and the invention consists, further, in the novel parts and the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described, and referred to in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a common typeof corn-planter provided with the improved apparatus for operating the dropping mechanism thereof; Fig. 2, a fragmentary view of the rockshaft of the dropping mechanism detached from the planter; Fig. 3,a side elevation of the planter with parts thereof broken away and showing the check-row apparatus connected to the drive-axle; Fig. 4, a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on a vertical plane near the middle parts of the machine;

.Fig. 5, a fragmentary elevation showing in detail the clutch for driving the seed-drop ping apparatus; Fig. 6, a sectional detail view of the adjuster for resetting the'tripping devices; Fig. 7, a vertical sectional view of the clutch mechanism on the drive-axle; Fig, 8, a side elevation of a part of the adjuster having trip-fingers thereon; Fig. 9, a front elevation of a sprocket-wheel forming a part of the adjuster, and Fig. 10 a side elevation of an arm of the rock-shaft of the dropping mechanism.

Similar reference characters in the diifer ent figures of the drawings designate corresponding elements or features.

In the drawings, A and A designate the carrying and covering wheels; B, the driveaxle, which is secured to the hub a of the wheel A, and thereby rotated; C, the main frame mounted on the axle and supporting the seat 7); D, the forward-tilting or runner frameconnected to the main frame and having the tongue 0 attached thereto; E and E, the seedboxes; F and F, the seed-tubes (or boots) for conveying the seed from the seed boxes to the ground; G, the rotative shaft which operates the seed-plates or devices in the seedboxes for feeding the seed into the seed-tubes; H and H, the droppers and valves that operate in the seed-tubes; I, the rock-shaft that operates the droppers; and d, e, and f, the gearing by which the axle B drives the shaft G for feeding the seed to the droppers, arms g on the rock-shaft being connected to the dro pers. The ab0vementioned elements wi 1 be understood as being commonly embodied in check-row cornplanters, and heretofore suitable trip devices have been connected to the rock-shaft I and adapted to be actuated by a stretched knotted line or a wire provided with buttons or the like for spacing the hills, said type of trip devices being omitted in the present invention.

The improved apparatus comprises in practice a clutch member J, that is secured to the axle B, and a clutch member K, that is rotative on the axle and has a sprocket-wheel L attached thereto, the member K having a groove h in its periphery. A coilspring M encircles the axle between the hub 11 of the I wheel A and the member K, normally forcing the latter member into engagement with the member J. A bracket '1; is attached to the frame Q and pivotally supports a bell-crank facel and also a hub m, extending beyond the face and having an external screw n. Aclutchring S is journaled on the hub m and has a clutch-face 1), formed as a coacting companion to the face Z of the wheel R. The clutchfaces may be variously formed in shape, pref fingers being preferable.

balance the other.

the arm V will also move with it, and there- 'seed-droppers H and H, connected theremeans, the weight of the arm V and the conspringo usually being sufficient for the purwill cause the seed to be fed as usual from the position with the seed-tubes F and F at the havingan arm N extending into the groove h I of the clutch member K for disengaging the latter from the other clutch member, the bell-crank having also an arm 0, serving as a foot-lever for actuating the arm N. A spring-latch P is attached to the frame C for holding the arm 0 when depressed, so as to hold the member K away from the member J, thus permitting the axle to rotate without moving the sprocket-wheel L, the wheel having a drive-chain j thereon for imparting motion to the tripping mechanism.

A bracket Q-is attached to the frame C and supports an axle k, on which a sprocketwheel R is journaled, and in connection with the drive-chain The wheel R has a clutcherably smooth, so as to engage frrctionally one with the other; but obviously they may be more or'less roughened or provided with small teeth. .The ring S has a suitable number of trip-fingers q attached thereto, two A screw-nut T is placed on the screw 1 for binding the ring S Preferably the nut should have two levers, so that one may A bracket 8 is attached to the frame C and pivotally supports a lever U, which is journalcd between its ends, one end of the lever being in the path of the fingers q, so as to be periodically engaged thereby, the other end ofthe lever being connected with the free end of an armV, that is attached to the rock-shaft I, the arm having a pin 25 extending into a slot u, that is formed in the lever U, so that when the lever U moves with rocking motion fore rock the shaft 1, and thereby operate the with. The seed-droppers may be held normally in closed positions by any suitable nected end of the lever U provided with a pose, although the droppers are commonly provided with a suitable spring for closing them instantly after having been opened, as will be understood. The spring may be arranged in any suitable position.

In practical use the rotation of the shaft G seedboxes to the droppers H and H, as will be understood, while the machine moves to the starting-point of a row, with the clutch member K disengaged from the member J. The machine should be stopped at-the proper starting-line. Then the nut T should be loosened and the lever 0 should be released in order that the wheel L may be operatively connected with the axle B, after which the ring S should be rotated until a finger q engages the lever U and trips it, so as to cause the operation of the droppers H and H, thereby dropping the first hill on the starting-line. Then the nut T should be tight ened, so that the fingers q may be put in motion by means of the wheel B, after which the planter may be drawn across the field, the wheel A measuring the distances for the hills of corn and driving the seed-dropping apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a corn-planter, the combination with a pair of carrying and covering wheels, a drive-axle secured to one of the wheels, and a main frame mounted on the axle, of a clutch member secured to the axle, a grooved clutch member rotative on the axle and provided with a sprocketwheel, a spring coiled on the axle between the grooved clutch member and the hub of the wheel that has the drive-axle secured thereto, a bracket attached to the frame, a bell-crank pivoted to the bracket and having an arm extending into the groove of the clutch member and having also an arm formed as a foot-lever, a spring-latch mounted on the frame in engagement with the foot-lever arm, and a sprocketchain on the sprocket-wheel, with tripping mechanism for the seed-droppers of the cornplanter connected with the sprocket-chain, substantially as set forth.

2. In a corn-planter, the combination with a sprocket-wheel, a drive-axle carrying the sprocket-wheel, a main frame, seedboxes, and dropping mechanism having a rock-shaft provided with an arm, of a bracket attached to the main frame, an axle supported by the bracket, a driving sprocket-wheel journaled on the axle and having a clutch-face and also a hub extending beyond the clutch-face and having an external screw, a sprocket-chain connecting the two sprocket-wheels, aclutchring journaled on the hub of the sprocketwheel and having a clutch-face opposed to the clutch-face of the sprocket wheel, a tripfinger attached to the clutch-ring, a screwnut movable on the external screw and hav ing an operating-lever, and a lever mounted on the frame in the path of the trip-finger and connected to the arm of the rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a corn-planter, the combination of carrying and covering wheels, a drive-axle,

a main frame, a tilting frame, seedboxes on "v the tilting frame with feeding devices oper ated by the driveaxle, seed-tubes with seeddroppers and valves, a rock-shaft connected with the seed-droppers and valves and pro- IIO vided with an arm having a pin, a lever piv- In testimony whereof I affix my signature otally nilounted on the main fretfrm;l and havin presence of two Witnesses.

ing a s 0t receiving the pin 0 t e arm, a,

spring connected to the lever, and a trip- I WILLIAM MCCARTHY ger mounted on the mainframe to engage the lever and connected operatively with the drive-axle.

Witnesses:

B. F. KUDRIGE, ZANTA V. PAVEY. 

